Shadows of the Night
by XLil MEkoX
Summary: Linked to sea-dilemma's "Shatter Me." It was just a job, yet could he really deny these feelings? Her smile never faded and her smouldering eyes scorched his soul; Jason Todd was falling in love. "It's a cold world, when you keep it all to yourself." She caressed his cheek with loving affection. "It'll be alright, though. I'm here for you." Jason Todd/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes: **Hey all! :D I'm back with a new story thanks to the inspiration from sea-dilemma's "Shatter Me" :) She has been so kind as to let me link my story to hers AND beta for me! T.T TRULY an awesome person! :D

I fell in love with her story (YOU SHOULD SERIOUSLY READ AND REVIEW IT!) and was inspired to write this lovely piece of work :) I hope to update every week but we''ll see how that goes ;) I promise not to leave you all hangin' :)

Anywho, I hope you enjoy it as much as I love writing it :)

**Disclaimer: ****I do not own _Young Justice_, or its characters, all of which are owned by DC Comics/Cartoon Network.**

* * *

It had to be today. Rain poured from the sky as the girl ran through the streets of New York City. It was supposed to be sunny, yet here she was, soaking wet from the rain. Passersby eyed her with amusement and pity; she was wearing a white sundress, after all. Never one for closed-toe shoes, she was also wearing light brown sandals. The phone in her purse buzzed as she arrived at her destination.

"Late again, Ms. Corrigan?" The Doorman asked as she attempted to ring out her short brown hair.

"I have an excuse this time, Rolando." He rolled his eyes as she fished for her phone in her purse. She opened it to an incoming phone call and nearly cringed at the name; she answered.

"I'm right outside, Mr. Reeves. The rain caught me off guard but I'm here now."

"_You need to stop being late so much. I can't keep waiting for you to arrive. Hurry up. I have an urgent meeting to go to." _

Hanging up, she sighed; hair clung to her face as she walked into the ice cold apartment complex. Ignoring the stares from just about every person in the lobby, she walked to the elevators leading to her employer's apartment. It took only seconds for the elevator doors to open and reveal a few men and women dressed in business suits exiting as she entered. Pressing the desired floor, she shivered as the doors brought a small breeze of cold air to her damp skin as they closed.

She waited patiently, listening to the classical music inside the elevator, until the doors opened again on the 11th floor.

"Juliet! It's about time, girl!" Gregory Reeves stopped in his tracks as he observed the young woman in her SOAKED white dress. She kept her arms crossed in front of her chest as she walked into the hall. "Lord, you're soaked… listen; there should be some spare clothes you left in the guest bedroom. Have the room service wash and dry your dress." He quickly led her through to the living room and to the guest room.

"Now, Alan needs to be picked up from school later than usual. He said he has some sort of club meeting going on, and I won't be home until 9:30; is that alright?" She nodded. "Good, I'll see you tonight, then." With a pat on her mid-back, he left.

Juliet blew out a puff of air as she heard the elevator open and close, signaling his departure; at least now she was out of the rain. Bending down, she unhooked a strap on each sandal and kicked them off. The carpet was surprisingly warm against her pruny feet. The dress, much like her damp hair, stuck to her skin and needed to be peeled off.

Her undergarments were slightly damp, and the cold air gave her goose-bumps as she hung the dress on the doorknob of the closet. Inside, she found an oversized t-shirt and her old faded jeans. Once changed, Juliet took the dress into the bathroom, wrung it out over the tub and hung it on a hanger. _It should be dry by the time I leave anyway…_

She glanced over to the clock on top of the mahogany dresser. _10:34 AM. _Oh yea, definitely.

Walking around the penthouse, Juliet skimmed the chores she had to do before picking up Alan from school. Luckily, the 11 year old had persuaded his father to buy a stereo for the living room; a very fancy one. Switching it on, it began playing the last listened to radio station.

"Good grief, classical?" She mumbled and changed the radio to her saved station. _I'm sure the classical drives Alan insane!_ She giggled to herself as the preferred music began playing; the rain continued to pour outside as she began her normal routine.

"I can see clearly now, the rain has gone!" She sang out loud and laughed.

* * *

Gregory drummed his fingers on his knees as his limo approached his office building. Being President of R&O Paper Company was becoming a more dangerous job than one would think; dealing with eco-terrorists was one thing, but drug dealers? That was a whole situation entirely; and this was a decision he seriously regretted making.

"Here we are, Sir." The driver broke him from his thoughts. How much deeper could he dig himself into such a business? Running a hand over his mouth, he exited the limo and jogged inside.

"Good Morning, Mr. Reeves." Gregory turned to Brenda, his receptionist and close friend.

"Hey, Brenda, how are you?" He walked over to her desk, almost sounding tired.

"I'm fine. I've got your mail, and there were only a few messages for you this morning. The junk ones I threw away." Junk mail being all the hate letters from protesters who stood outside his building on sunny days. _Thank God for the rain._

"Thanks, Brenda. Is my 11:00 here yet?"

"Yes, Sir, he's waiting in your office right now."

"Good… good. Thank you; take my calls for the next hour, ok?" He was already walking towards the elevator as he spoke, not really listening for her confirmation as the doors closed behind him. Several other employees entered and exited the elevator as he ascended closer to his office, greeting him with the respect he and his partner had earned.

After a few stops, he was finally alone in the elevator. It wasn't long before he could walk out the elevator. His guest was right on time; he could see him through the glass windows surrounding the office. The other rooms and cubicles were empty as requested; whatever they said would be in private.

The man wore black slacks with a pair of dress shoes and a grey button-up shirt, with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. As soon as Gregory opened the door, the man turned to face him. _By God! He is so young!_

His face was clean shaven, with pitch black hair combed back, although a few rebel strands in his face; he had piercing blue eyes and a frown etched on his face.

"So, Jason Todd, is it?" Gregory cleared his throat and walked over to shake his hand. The young man hesitated, but shook Gregory's hand with a firm grasp.

"Yes."

"You seem a bit young for the job I'm asking for."

"My age has nothing to do with my skills." The two stood quietly for a few seconds, sizing each other up, until Gregory sighed and threw his mail down on his desk. He was quietly contemplating. The boy came with high recommendation; what other choice was there? "I could leave. I do have better things to occupy my time if you believe I don't qualify."

"No! No… I am in need of your services-"

"Alright then, what is the job?" He cut in, frustration evident in his tone; Gregory sighed.

_I could say it's just the eco-terrorists; he doesn't need to know about the REAL threat; anything to protect my only family._

"My son has been threatened. I need you to keep him safe."

Jason wasn't necessarily surprised; he'd heard about what had been going on with some of the protesters, aggression was to be expected- but threatening a child's life? Something just wasn't necessarily right with this man.

"Alright… What do you want me to do about it? Because it certainly won't be involving baby-sitting some kid."

"He already has a babysitter; whom is also involved and needs a bodyguard."

Jason crossed his arms, waiting for Gregory to continue. Gregory walked over to his window, which overlooked the city. "It's better to watch over them from a distance; you don't need to be involved, just watching closely. I don't want anything happening to either of them."

"Your son I can understand, but the baby-sitter? I don't need to be looking out for some-one who's probably on two different payrolls."

"She is actually my…ward, I suppose. I owed her father a debt, so she's in my care. You'll most likely meet her soon enough; she'll understand the situation better than my son." It was simple enough. Legit body-guard duties; he could do this. Besides, how bad could eco-terrorists be? After a long pause between the two, Jason spoke up.

"What's the pay?"

Gregory walked over to the desk and placed his briefcase on there. Opening it, he pulled out a stack of money.

"One thousand up front and 500 every week for as long as this lasts."

Jason caught the money as Greg tossed it to him. True, if he had gone to someone else, he'd get paid more, but what could he expect from a small company as this? _Better this guy's money than Bruce Wayne's._ Crossing his arms Jason sized the man up. Something was definitely off about this man.

"Hmm." He paused. "I'll take the job. Protect the boy and his nanny; that all?"

Gregory nodded. "When do I start?"

"Tomorrow." Gregory dug out a manila envelope and handed it to Jason. "Here, this has all of their information. You might have to get with Juliet for the time schedules. She'll be at the apartment around 7:00 AM." _She'll be there?_

"She doesn't live there?" Jason asked.

"No… she has her own apartment a couple of blocks from ours." He sat down at his desk.

"I thought she was your 'ward'." He almost sounded sarcastic, but Gregory ignored it.

"She is but… I can't stop her from growing up… she's 22 and chose to leave the nest, so to speak. All the information you need to know is in that folder."

"Gotcha. I'll be seeing you, then." Jason picked up his brown leather jacket and put it on. He walked out without another word, leaving the older man to his thoughts.

_How had it come to this?_


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Notes: **First off, welcome back :) I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter, I know it was short (hopefully I can write longer chapters in the future.) I'd really like to thank all the people who have reviewed, followed and favorite-ed my story :) SO MUCH love to sea-dilemma for beta-reading AND mentioning my fic in her fic "Shatter Me" (if you've yet to read it, YOU SHOULD!) Anywho, I hope you enjoy! :) MUCH LOVE! :D

**Disclaimer: I do not own _Young Justice_, or its characters, all of which are owned by DC Comics/Cartoon Network.**

* * *

A couple hours had passed before Juliet walked into Alan's room. Since his was always the messiest, she always saved his for last. His bedroom wasn't as bad as she expected, yet it still needed much attention. _Looks like he woke up late this morning. _Discarded clothing was left on just about every inch of the cream-colored carpet; toys covered the rest. Dropping the basket of dirty laundry, she walked over to the bathroom door. Flipping the switch, Juliet squinted as the fluorescent light flickered on; the bathroom was, surprisingly, in a much neater and organized state- _meaning the kid didn't even brush his teeth…_

His hamper sat just in front of the sink, filled with dirty clothes and towels. Juliet lifted it and pulled out the surprisingly large amount of dirty laundry and carried them to her basket. She could still hear the stereo from the living room and began humming to a familiar, up-beat tune whilst picking up the clothes from the floor of the bedroom.

Out of the blue, her pocket screeched a tune that mimicked a classic horror movie scream, making her jump and drop the clothes. The screaming continued until she pulled out her phone; seeing who it was, she shook his head. _He managed to change my ringtone again!_

"Aren't you supposed to be in class right now?" She smiled at the child's laughter on the other end.

"Yea, well I'm at lunch now."

"Hmm, how do I know you aren't just lying to me and skipping school?" She joked; She couldn't help but laugh at his reply. Alan was so easy to tease.

"W-What?! No I'm NOT!"

"Psh, I know!" The smile never left her face as she adjusted the phone to fit her shoulder while she continued to straighten his room. "So, when did you change my ringtone, kiddo?"

"You only heard it just now? Don't people call you?"

"Heard it? No DUH, silly! It nearly gave me a heart attack! And NO, no one calls me."

"I knew you'd be scared!"

"Yea, yea whatever! So what's up, kiddo? Must be REAL important if you're calling me from school-on your LUNCH, no less!" She said in a playful tone.

"Haha, yea, very funny. Did dad tell you about me staying after school?"

"Yes."

"Well, the teacher told us the club was cancelled, so I get out at normal time." _Gee, he almost sounded sad for a minute there!_

"Alrighty, honey-bunches! I'll come pick you up from school at 7 o' clock!"

"What?! No I—"

"Ohh I was just kidding!"

"Stop calling me that, too! It's…embarrassing…" He mumbled so low, she thought she imagined it.

"Aw, I know you love me… and don't worry, I'll come get you when school lets out, ok?" She heard him sigh in relief and she laughed again. "Now eat your lunch, I'm sure you don't want to talk to me and miss out on hamburgers today, right?"

"Actually, it's pizza today!" His mood changed quickly; Juliet shook her head as they said their good-byes and hung up.

Tucking the phone back into her pocket, she looked over to the Alien-themed alarm clock sitting on top of the boy's desk. _1:13…Ok, still a few more hours to clean. _She quickly gathered all the clothes and placed them in the basket.

Juliet used all of her strength to lift the now over-flowing basket of dirty laundry; it was literally blocking her view. Attempting to walk out of the room, she accidentally bumped into the door frame, causing some of the dirty clothes to cover her head. _And it's a long way to the washeteria;_ it being on the second floor. _Why don't these apartments have their own washer and dryers_?! She maneuvered through the door and into the hallway, although she didn't make past the living room without stubbing her toe on the black corduroy sofa.

"Aaaarghhh! Frickin-frick!" She hissed, curling her toe in pain and biting her lip. _This is too much clothing for a father and son! Why is there so much laundry!?_ She stomped, not caring about her injured toe, to the front door and exited the apartment. The marble floor was cold against the pads of her feet and she was regretting ever leaving. She stopped and looked back; _too far now._

She continued on, setting the heavy basket down and pushing the down button once at the elevator. She looked down at the basket and pulled out a large shirt, stretching it over the top of the clothes to hide any undergarments and to keep clothes from falling off the sides.

The elevator doors opened and Juliet quickly dragged the basket inside, not bothering to pick it up just yet.

"Laundry day?"

Juliet turned to see an older woman smiling at her. She wore a beautiful navy pantsuit with silver buttons and white edges. Her greying hair was short and curly, yet was neatly styled to frame her thin face. Juliet returned her smile and nodded, assuming she must live in one of the more expensive homes. The woman chuckled softly and pushed the button for Juliet.

"I remember having to hang all the clothes myself when I was younger. You kids today have it so much easier with your fancy Dryers."

"Well, at least now someone else does it for you, huh?" Juliet asked and the older woman laughed lightly.

"Yes, well; I have my husband to thank for that." She held out a pale elegant hand. "I'm Deborah Wilkins. 16th floor." Juliet grasped her hand, scared the woman's frail hand might break.

"Juliet Corrigan; 11th floor."

"Ah, Juliet; what a beautiful name. By chance, do have a boyfriend named Romeo?" Her light humor made Juliet laugh.

"I get that a lot; but no such luck, actually." She leaned against the elevator wall, hands tucked in her pockets. "I hardly have any friends these days."

"Well, that's no good! A pretty girl like you should have a bunch of friends! Aren't you still in high school?"

"Actually no, I graduated 4 years ago… I'm 22."

"College?"

"I've only been taking a few online courses, mainly core classes, but… I'm not sure what to do, really. As a career..."

The woman gently shook her head. "Well, at least you're still young. You have many years before you get to be my age and trust me missy, nothing functions like it used to!" The two women laughed just as the doors opened on Juliet's floor. She dragged her basket out of the elevator.

"It was nice to meet you, Mrs. Wilkins, I hope I see you again soon."

"You too, Juliet; go find yourself a nice boy to socialize with. I heard the Doorman has a son."

"Oh, no, ma'am! I am NOT setting myself up for that!" The older woman laughed as the doors slid closed. Juliet shook her head, smiling. "What a woman." She sighed and lifted the heavy load.

"Now for 2 hours of boredom with unsociable washing machines."

* * *

This wasn't exactly his idea of living on his own. Jason walked silently to the nearby train station alone. No one paid much attention to the young man as he reached the public lockers. Punching in the code, he pulled out his duffel bag with all his belongings and closed the locker for the last time. At least now he had a stable job, or so he thought. There was something off about the CEO of R&O Paper Company. Jason wasn't exactly one to throw caution to wind. _Speaking of wind…_

The rain from earlier had left New York with a cold October chill; Jason zipped up his leather jacket and swung the bag over his shoulders. Walking from the station, Jason wandered through the streets of New York. It wasn't long before he hailed a cab and tossed his things inside.

"Where to?" The cab driver asked. Jason thought for a moment, for now there was no place he belonged, no place of his own. Who, besides Bruce, could Jason Todd turn to for the night? He wasn't exactly the sociable golden boy. "Sir?" Jason closed the door behind him and stared out the window.

"Blüdhaven." The cab driver nodded and prattled on about how far it was from New York and how much it would cost Jason, but he wasn't exactly worried about that. Not that he ever worried anymore. He gave the man the specific address and the driver put it in his GPS. The ride would take an hour, tops.

Jason pulled out his phone, going through the small list of contacts he had; would Dick help? He spent most of the cab ride staring at his older brother's number, contemplating the best choice. Getting an apartment was expensive in New York, particularly the ones he wanted. There was no doubt living in a hotel would cost him, as well as the constant cab rides.

The sky was clearing and bits of sun shone over the city as he drew closer to Blüdhaven. He didn't want to stay long; long enough to at least get an apartment outside of the city he hated. He looked at the screen of the phone again. It was a little past noon already, and Jason pulled his bag close and opened one of the side pockets. Inside was an orange medicine bottle, filled with his medication; he stared at the pills for a moment, observing the tiny beads inside the two-colored pill. A part of him hated this, yet this was one way to ease his mind.

Jason tossed his head back and swallowed his pills dry. It'd be a while before any effects kicked in, so he waited patiently as the driver exited off the freeway.

Things were going according to plan as far as he knew it. Jason handed a $100 bill to the cab driver and told him to keep the change; The driver greedily accepted and drove off.

Jason looked up at the apartment complex, wondering if Dick was even at home. '_Nah, last I heard he was supposedly working for Wayne Enterprises; only one way to find out.'_

Sliding open his phone, he dialed Wayne Enterprises.

"Wayne Enterprises, how may I direct your call?" A woman answered.

"I need to speak to Dick Grayson."

"One moment, please." He was placed on hold for a few seconds before it changed to ringing. After two rings, he heard the familiar voice of his older brother. _Well I'll be damned. It was true._

"Dick Grayson."

"Oh, my God. It's true." Jason entered the apartment complex as he talked. He could practically hear the grin in Dick's voice.

"How did you get this number?"

"Receptionist, Wonder Boy." Jason turned to see the elevator blocked.

"Damn them. I told them to screen my calls." Jason chuckled as he continued to the stairs instead; maybe Dick's humor was one of the reasons Jason tolerated him. He shook his head, ascending the stairs at a slow pace.

"So, Bruce finally did it- he got the golden child roped into the family biz." Mentally he rolled his eyes. "The other family biz."

"Well, you know, gotta put away the jammies sometime and put on the big-boy pants." Dick said, and Jason grinned as he passed the second floor.

"Ha. As if you'll ever do that."

"Well, I do look good in them." So full of himself, as usual.

"Especially the footy pajamas." Jason joked

"It gets all the women, you know."

"I wondered how you attracted Barbara."

"Sheer animal magnetism."

"I think it's just her bad vision. She thought you were me." He remembered that well. He could almost picture the disbelief on Dick's face.

"We look nothing alike."

"It's true. I have the rugged looks, and yours are oh, so delicate." He heard the older Wayne chuckle at his words, and Jason couldn't keep the smirk from his face.

"So how did you hear about me working here?"

"I was trained by the world's greatest detective."

"Sherlock Holmes?" Finally reaching the right floor, Jason walked up to his brother's door.

"Yeah. You know Watson was based on me, right?" Jason knelt down and pulled out his lock pick.

"So when are you going to come work here?" Dick asked. Jason paused in his work, and a familiar emotion washed over him. Frowning, he continued.

"Well, I was thinking about it."

"Oh, yeah?" The lock clicked.

"How about 'when hell freezes over?'" Jason stood and pushed the door open; the mood had suddenly turned a bit sour as he intruded into Dick's apartment.

"Jase…" Dick sighed.

"I'm just not an office kind of guy, Dickiebird. You, of all people, should know that."

"You wouldn't have to be. Look, there's a position open in the R & D, in the weapons division." Jason knew for sure there was no such job openings. He placed his bag on the floor next to the couch.

"Nah, I'm not ready to have a paycheck with Bruce's face on it."

"We used all those checks up. It's my face now." Dickiebird always knew how to lighten the mood.

"Not Damian's? He's slipping."

"He was too short to be seen in the official portrait, so they cut him out."

"Ha. If there's ever an official portrait, you know that he'll be standing on a box to tower over everyone else."

"Better than standing on our backs." Ha. Good one.

"That's more his style, I'll admit." Jason sat on the couch and pulled out the manila envelope he received earlier.

"So, should I give Lucius your name for that job?" He pressed his lips in a thin line.

"No can do. I've already got a job."

"That's great! What is it?" He almost cringed at his brother's excitement.

"Bodyguard." Jason almost laughed as he practically heard Dick's face fall.

"Oh-that's-great, um- too. It's not for someone like- Penguin or Dent, is it?" Jason flipped through the papers in his lap.

"No one that I'll have to kill later on." He said absent-mindedly.

"Well, that's – a- relief."

"I thought you might think so." He stopped on the picture of the baby-sitter.

"So," Dick began slowly, "You want to have lunch later?" At the mention of food, Jason's stomach growled, remembering he didn't eat anything prior to his meeting this morning; yet he felt a little edgy about eating at a restaurant with Dick.

"Dick, we're not doing normal, you know. It's not in me."

"It's lunch, Jay. I'm not asking you to room with me."

"Now that would be interesting." There was a short pause before Dick said anything.

"Do you need a place to stay?" Jason knew Dick would welcome him in his home, but he wasn't so sure if he really wanted to or not. He was quiet for a moment, wondering whether or not he should have stayed in New York. He knew Dick's generosity too well, and he knew that Dick would tell Bruce as soon as he got the chance. "Come stay with me, Jay."

"No." He affirmed. "That won't work, Dick. Come on. We're not exactly Bert and Ernie."

"As long as you don't touch my rubber ducky, we'll be fine." Jason scrunched up his nose and tossed his papers on the coffee table.

"That sounds very wrong, Grayson."

"I walked right into that one, didn't I?"

"Little bit." He stood up and walked towards the kitchen.

"So you'll think about it? About staying with me, I mean?" What was there to lose?

"Already thought about it." He opened the fridge to examine the contents; disappointed in the lack of alcoholic beverages.

"So that's a yes?"

"Yeah, sure. After all, your fridge is well-stocked. Hey, you got any beer? All I see is diet soda." He scrunched his nose again in disgust. "You seriously drink that crap?" He was positive Dick knew where he was now.

"You're in my apartment right now." Dick deadpanned. If Jason could, he would laugh in his face.

"Tell you what. I'll sleep on the sofa and you can keep the bed." He heard Dick sigh through the phone.

"Thanks."

He pulled out the last cold slice of pizza. "No prob." Biting down, Jason looked around the kitchen some more and opened a few cabinets. His eyes widened at the variety of food the guy had. "Woah! Why do you have seven – no – eight different types of cereal?" Dick ignored his question.

"I'll see you tonight, then."

Jason continued walking around the apartment. "Hey, where do you keep the escrima sticks?" He waltzed into Dick's bedroom.

"Do not start playing with my stuff, Jason."

Jason rolled his eyes. "That does not sound good, either. Do you think about your words before you say them?"

Ignoring his question once again, Dick sighed. "Make yourself at home, Jase, you know – as long as you don't touch my special things." Jason walked back into the kitchen.

"You did it again, Dickie. Think before you speak." Jason grinned as he heard his brother laugh.

"I'll see you later."

"Thanks, bro."

"You're welcome, bro."

Jason hung up the phone and stood in front of the fridge. He had a lot of reading to do; _but first… _He pulled out all the ingredients for a triple-layered sandwich.

"Shouldn't work on an empty stomach."

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Recognize that scene anyone? :) sea-dilemma was so kind to let me use this scene, I sincerely appreciate all the help she's given by letting me incorporate a few scenes in Jason's POV :) I hope you enjoyed it and like my take on Jason! :D like I said, I hope I can make the chapters longer in the near future; thank you all for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: **Hello all! :) and how have we been? Good I hope! I'm sorry for not updating fast enough, but you know...life :/ Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter and I'll update soon enough! :D

Thank you sea-dilemma for beta reading! :D

* * *

At 2:57 PM, Juliet was rushing out of the apartment complex.

_Today is just not my day!_ She thought as she attempted to wave a taxi cab down. Alan's school was over 15 blocks away, and yet every cab driver passed by without even slowing down. It had stopped raining, much to her relief, but she had still grabbed a small umbrella before she left; just in case.

Five minutes passed, and she finally gave up and opted to jog the whole way. _With all this running, I should seriously consider joining the Olympics!_ She already knew she was going to get an earful from the boy for being late.

* * *

A loud knock had Gregory looking up from his paper work; he froze at the sight.

A man stood, leaning against the glass door as if he'd been there for hours just watching. He held himself with a high stature; he wore a clean grey suit, with his black curly hair combed back with a large amount of gel. His dress shoes tapped against the floor as he began walking towards the desk.

"What are you doing here?" Gregory could smell the expensive cologne from where the man stood, the man was grinning the whole time.

"Visiting a friend." He sat down, the smile never leaving his face.

"'Friends don't threaten the lives of their friend's family." Gregory growled.

"Friends also don't call the police on each other."

"I did what I was supposed to! I didn't go to the cops!"

The man shook his head "Our sources say different."

Gregory's fists were clenched. "Your 'sources' are lying! I ordered a shipment to the warehouse like instructed!"

"If you say so." The man's smile melted away into a frown as he picked up a picture frame from the desk. "How is your son, Mr. Reeves?"

_Damn him!_

"My son has nothing to do with this." Gregory spoke through clenched teeth. "You leave him out of this!"

"I can't make any promises. The boss believes he can use him as insurance." The man placed the photo back. "I'm sure you understand."

"He doesn't need to do that. What does he want?"

The man smirked and leaned back in his chair. "Make an 'order' today - to this address." He pulled out a sheet of paper and slid it to Gregory. "You should be expecting the package next week."

Gregory skimmed over the handwriting with much reluctance before setting it down. "Fine."

"Good. I'll let the boss know." The man stood up, much to Gregory's relief, and walked to the door. "Don't screw up this time." He paused at the door frame. "Don't want you ending up like your partner." With those parting words, he left.

A lump formed in Gregory's throat at the man's words. The guilt he felt at those words nearly consumed him whole.

* * *

Maniacal laughter tore Jason from his sleep with a gasp. For a moment, he forgot where he was until his heart calmed down.

_Dick's apartment._

He looked down to see papers scattered on the floor; most likely due to his abrupt movement. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed; he hadn't had a nightmare like that in a while. _Must've fallen asleep. _He thought as he checked the time on his phone. 4:29 PM, meaning he had slept for almost 5 hours; despite this, he still felt tired. Reaching down, He picked up the scattered pages and photos.

Wonder Boy would be home soon, so he needed to finish studying his 'tasks' before then. He was finished with the 11 year old's profile, and detached the photo. Jason read over the girl's profile, having already detached her picture while skimming through the file earlier. _Speaking of which…_

Juliet Corrigan; long brown hair with bright hazel eyes. Jason stared at her picture for a long moment; he was looking at her image more often than he should, and yet couldn't stop. The picture, much like the young boy's, was a portrait, most likely taken at a photo studio for families. She wore a light pink blouse in the photo, with small hints of eyeliner and lipstick, her hair was pulled to one side of her shoulder as she smiled. He looked at her picture for a moment longer before forcibly setting it down, all thoughts of his brief nightmare forgotten.

Placing the rest of the papers on the table, Jason stood and stretched. Walking over to his bag, he opened it and pulled out his regular street clothes. His stomach grumbled as he undressed and he wondered what he should get for dinner. He didn't feel like making dinner tonight, nor was he in the mood to order Chinese. He thought back to the cold pizza he had had earlier; its lack of toppings made Jason crave for something more filling.

After yanking on his boots, Jason dug through his bag and pulled out his medicine bottle. Stuffing it in his pocket, he then grabbed his paperwork and hid it under the seat cushion of Dick's couch. No need to tempt Dick into snooping although Jason knew that his brother would do just that. He kept the photos of the two individuals and tucked them in the inside pocket of his jacket.

'Locking' the door behind him, Jason left the apartment and walked down the stairs; _Dick will be home eventually - might as well buy dinner._

* * *

Alan sat patiently on the school stairs as he waited for Juliet. He wasn't surprised by her lateness; this wasn't the first time he had to wait for her. He saw her silhouette in the distance, jogging her way towards him.

Despite the cold weather, Juliet's brow was covered in sweat and her cheeks were flushed by the time she reached him.

"It's about time, Julie!" Alan called as she stopped in front of him, hands on her knees.

"Not – my – fault!" She gasped, trying to catch her breath.

"Yeah, sure, whatever you say."

Juliet playfully glared at the boy, taking a step towards him. "That's right, whatever I say." She gently nudged him to the side, dropped her purse next to him and plopped down on the steps; Alan laughed. "So, how was school, squirt?"

Alan squirmed as she ruffled his hair. "It was ok, I guess. I was hoping to go to the club meet, though."

"Yeah? What kind of meet was this?" Juliet asked, her breathing returning to normal.

"The student council was supposed to talk about the Halloween party this Saturday."

"Oh." She leaned back on the steps. "I see… So does that mean you'll need a chaperone?"

Alan nodded. "I was going to ask Dad, but I don't think he would want to go…"

Juliet eyed he young boy as he frowned. Gregory did all he could to make sure his son was taken care of, and yet didn't even have time for him. Juliet draped an arm around Alan's shoulders, determined to lighten the mood. "I'll be there, kiddo, don't worry."

"Thanks, Julie." He mumbled, still sad.

The two sat in silence as the school yard emptied of its students. She stared at Alan as he watched the other kids leave with their parents, a sympathetic smile on her face. It was in moments like these that she missed her own father; mind set, she stood up abruptly.

"So, you've got two options;" She pulled Alan up. "We can either, A, go straight home or B, go get hot chocolate with EXTRA whipped cream." She smiled at him and grabbed her purse. "What do you say?"

Alan's eyes lit up with joy. "B!" He exclaimed, already descending the steps two at a time. Juliet laughed as she followed him out of the gates of the school.

"Wait for me! I'm the one paying, remember!" At her words, Alan stopped in his tracks and waited for her to catch up.

The two continued their trek to the nearest coffee shop, one which they often frequented. The door jingled as they entered; Alan sat at a nearby table as Juliet went to the cashier to place their order.

"So," Juliet sat down across from Alan, receipt in hand. "What are we doing for Halloween night? Trick-or-treating?"

He nodded. "I still haven't decided on what to be, though. My friends want to go as superheroes."

"What are you thinking, then?"

"I'm leaning more towards Green Arrow."

"Hmm, yea, I can see that…" She held her chin in thought. "You definitely have the looks." Smirking, she reached over and pinched his cheek. He held up his hands and pushed hers away, making her laugh.

"What about you?" He asked.

"Hmm…I haven't really thought about it." She feigned resignation. "I guess I'll just go as myself." Just then, the cashier called out her order number and Juliet went to retrieve it.

"Does it matter, what I wear?" She set the cups down. "I'll just be following you and your friends around the streets." She finished, taking her seat.

"True," Alan grabbed his hot cocoa with towering whip cream and chocolate sprinkles. "but, you dressed as Wonder Woman last year."

Juliet groaned, remembering the tight-fitting costume. "Which, I will never wear again. It ripped, remember?"

"Only when you tried to pick up your bag of candy!"

"Yes! And all your little friends laughed about it the whole night! Not to mention the other kids in the neighborhood!"

Alan laughed. "Then don't get a small size!"

Juliet rolled her eyes playfully and sipped the hot beverage. "I'm still not dressing up." She could see Alan roll his own eyes as he drank his drink. "Wipe your nose squirt, you got cream all over it." Her phoned beeped in her purse as he wiped his nose with his sleeve. She looked at the screen to see a text message.

_**I need a favor.**_

It was Gregory.

_**What is it?**_ She texted back.

_**I need you to stay the night.**_

Juliet pursed her lips at this; she had work tomorrow.

"What is it, Julie?" Alan asked, noticing her expression.

"Your dad wants me to stay the night…" She quickly texted him back.

_**Ok. What's the occasion?**_ Juliet waited for his reply, yet none came. _Odd_.

"Cool! So, we can stay up late?" He asked hopefully.

"I don't think so kiddo, it's a school night." Juliet stood up from her chair, drink in hand. "Let's go, we need to stop by my place first, ok?"

"Fine! Let's go." Alan hopped out of his chair and led the way from the coffee shop.

* * *

Stomach full and showered, Jason lay soundlessly on the couch. The nights were getting colder and Jason was thankful for a warm place to sleep.

He was glad that he had come to Dick's apartment. At first, Jason was sure that Dick had told Bruce where he was; to his surprise, Dick promised he hadn't and wouldn't tell. Jason knew that Dick didn't trust him completely; who would trust a vigilante with 'psychological problems'? Earlier, while in the restroom, Jason noticed his belongings out of place in his bag, as if someone had rummaged through it; it was obvious who had done it.

Turning over on his side, he felt under the cushions of the couch for his hidden documents. Pulling them out, he skimmed over them one last time. Tomorrow, he would start his 'first job.' It wasn't THAT much different from any of his previous employments.

With the streetlights beaming through the living room window, his only light source, Jason looked at the photographs once more. He was good with faces; he had to be. As young as he was, he was very skilled and sure of his capabilities. Their faces would be committed to his memory. He didn't want to mess up, just when things were beginning to look up for him.

He'd be lying if he said he wasn't, at least, a little excited. Tomorrow he'd be meeting his new boss at his apartment, along with the young woman, whom he'd be meeting in person for the first time. If he was lucky, he wouldn't have to meet the boy at all. Gregory's message was clear; 'Do not get involved.' He knew he could watch over them from a distance, but what if he wasn't close enough?

True, he could shoot a man in the head at 1500 yards, but was it really necessary for a tree hugging activist?

Tucking the documents back under the cushion, fluffing his pillow, Jason turned over onto his back. He could hear Dick's light snoring though the, slightly ajar, bedroom door. If only he could sleep like that. Jason fluffed his pillow two more times before closing his eyes willing himself to sleep.

* * *

**Author's** **Notes: **Don't you just love Jason? Sorry I'm a bit obsessed :p I'm having a Jason Phase and just can't stop! :D However, I am ALSO working on a Fable fic, which I hope there are some fans out there reading this :D also Dragon Age and Walking Dead :)

Thank you guys so much for reading and reviewing! Makes me SO HAPPY! :D review or PM me if you so please, I'd be more than willing to chat and what not :) Tatty-bye! Much love!


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you sea-dilemma for beta-reading! :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own _Young Justice_, or its characters, all of which are owned by DC Comics/Cartoon Network.**

* * *

Sitting in his office, Gregory rubbed the bridge of his nose; headaches were becoming a common thing with him.

He waited until the last of his employees left for the day to do his 'dirty' work. To any outsider, particularly those watching the video surveillance, it would appear as if he were making a few final orders on his computer. But, he knew, for a fact, that it wasn't true. The website he was given was shady, to say the least. It was as if someone put it together fast just as a cover-up for their REAL products.

Gregory was the last to leave the building for the night, and he passed the overnight cleaners on his way out. His driver was already waiting for him. He hoped that Alan would be asleep by the time he got home; Juliet would no doubt start questioning him as soon as he walked through the door. He would, of course have lie about why he had hired a bodyguard.

Lie, as he had been doing since Juliet's father and mother were murdered.

It was almost 10 o'clock when the car left R&O Paper Co.; he was late again, having not seen his son all day. Gregory felt the familiar feeling of depression and guilt burn in his chest. He hated days like these, which were just unbearable if he couldn't see the light of his life.

He always told himself that It was for Alan. Money to support him, and to give him the life that he himself had never had at that age; it was what Gregory's deceased wife, Valerie, would want - A good life for their son.

Gregory pulled out his phone. He chose not to reply to Juliet's text from earlier in the day. He needed to explain it in person. The phone vibrated in his hand, indicating a new text alert. The number that came up was unfamiliar, yet Gregory knew only one person texted from a random number.

**You make the order?** It said.

Gregory was quick to reply. **Yes. When will it arrive?**

**2 days.**

Two days? Gregory sighed as he put his phone away; shipments usually took up to two weeks at most, but he wasn't about to question it. In two days he'd have to go to one of his company's warehouses, approve the shipment, and then receive his check of $50,000.

It was a lot of money, not to mention the income from the company itself. With the money in hand, Gregory would go straight to the bank, and divide it into two separate accounts; his and his partner's old private accounts.

The car pulled up to his apartment building, and he let himself out. The night shift doorman tipped his hat as Gregory passed; the lobby was quiet and empty as he walked to the elevator. He checked his watch - it read just a little before midnight. Alan would definitely be asleep. Once on his floor, the elevator doors opened, and he walked into the hallway and then to his door.

When he opened the door, He saw that Juliet was still awake, sitting at the dining table, reading a book, with a plastic-wrapped plate sitting to her right. At his entry, her hazel eyes looked up.

Gregory set his briefcase down. "Still up?"

She was quiet before answering. "Of course."

Gregory shrugged off his brown coat and hung it on the coat rack next to the door. "You didn't have to wait for me. You could've gone to sleep."

Juliet closed and set her book down. "You know I worry. You come home so late… Alan misses you." Her voice held concern. Gregory sighed as he walked over to the table; Juliet pushed the covered plate towards him, placing a fork next to it.

"Alan wanted spaghetti for dinner." She said as he un-wrapped the plate. She was met with silence as he began to eat. Loosening his tie, he dug into the food.

"Thank you, Juliet... Did Alan get to sleep ok?"

She nodded.

"Good."

Juliet waited until Gregory finished eating to talk. He looked exhausted. His usually neat blonde hair was touseled slightly, as if he had continuously run his hands through it, and the evidence of his lack of sleep hung beneath his blue eyes.

"I need to talk to you." He spoke, breaking Juliet out of her reverie. He stared ahead of him for a few seconds, as if debating something in his mind, before facing her. "I hired a bodyguard today." He began. "He's going to be watching over Alan… and you."

"Does this have anything to do with why I'm staying the night?"

Gregory nodded and stood up from his chair. Juliet stood as well, took the empty plate from him, and placed it on the sink.

"He'll be here in the morning to discuss Alan's schedule, and yours. I'd also like it if Alan didn't know about the bodyguard."

"Alright. What's happening, though? Why do we-"

Gregory held up his hand to halt her questioning. "It's just a precaution." It came out so easily, it disturbed him. "The protesters are getting a little more aggressive."

"But-"

"Don't worry about it, Juliet." He snapped.

Juliet was not afraid of his sudden mood change; they had been happening more frequently. They were silent, until Juliet sighed, picked up her book, and left for the guest bedroom.

"Good night, Mr. Reeves…" She said before closing the door behind her.

Gregory sighed in frustration; this was going to be another restless night.

* * *

In her room, Juliet lay silently on the bed_. I wonder what his problem is._ From what she knew, Gregory had been acting more and more strange; he was hardly ever at his apartment anymore, he neglected Alan on many occasions, and he'd been getting more…irate.

Ever since her father died, Gregory had been developing some type of resentment towards her. He no longer wanted to be called 'Uncle Greg', but Mr. Reeves. She wasn't a problem child, not at all; in fact, one would say she was the sweetest thing you'd ever lay eyes on. Gregory's personality practically flipped from a caring uncle to shunning her most of the time when she first moved in with him. She had never felt so alone when her father died.

Memories of her and young Alan, however, were always pleasant ones to relive. It was because of him that she saw the good in the world. He was the sun that brightened her lonely days.

Juliet sighed, wishing she would stop thinking, so her mind would be at peace. She turned over on her side, facing the window. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't worried. The protesters that stood outside of Gregory's company had been there for a few years; though she understood what they fought for, she didn't understand their sometimes aggressive behavior.

Did activists often endanger the life of children?

She hoped this bodyguard thing was a good idea; she did not like the idea of Alan in danger.

_I don't know what I'd do, if anything happened to Alan,_ were her last thoughts before she drifted into slumber.

* * *

**The Next Morning**

Jason left his current home long before his roommate woke up. An hour and a half had passed since he had awakened, and he was already standing outside of his boss's apartment door.

On his way over, he briefly went over his documents one last time before disposing of them. He was reluctant about getting rid of the pictures, although he wasn't sure why.

He was going to be seeing these people almost every day, so why would he need these photos? After much thought, Jason finally disposed of the pictures and continued on.

Now he stood outside the white painted door and knocked 3 times. He waited. No answer came; he knocked again, but much louder. This time there was muffled voices on the other side of the door before footsteps were heard. He waited as he heard the locks click before the door finally opened.

"Ah, good morning, Mr. Todd." Gregory held out his hand. "I trust you had no trouble finding my apartment?"

"No, sir."

"Good, please, come in." Gregory stepped aside to let Jason through.

Jason walked into to the living room. He could see the kitchen from where he stood; that's when he saw her.

The young woman wasn't facing him, and was giving him a full view of her back; he could smell the sweet aroma of the breakfast she was currently making. Her brown hair, unlike the picture he had, was short, only down to her shoulders. From his viewpoint, he could tell she was wearing a short-sleeved, light blue collared shirt.

"Juliet, come meet our guest."

Jason hadn't noticed when Gregory came to his side. Juliet turned from the stove to face them, and then turned the stove down so she could greet him.

When he locked eyes with her, he found that it was somewhat difficult to look anywhere else. He watched her as she maneuvered around the kitchen and dining table, the heels on her shoes clacking on the tiled floor until she got to the carpet. He could smell the small hints of perfume as she got closer. It was…floral.

"Hi, My name's Juliet… Corrigan." She said, nervous, but her smile didn't falter; she held her hand out to shake his.

The young woman in front of him was most definitely attractive; fairly short, barely topping five foot three, with well-proportioned curves. He had to stop his thoughts right there though, especially since his new boss was right behind him.

"Jason Todd. A pleasure." He grasped her hand - it was warm, maybe a little too warm? She was cooking breakfast though. Her skin was soft against his and he found he 'liked' the feel of her hand. A few pumps and their hands withdrew from one another, leading to an awkward pause.

"Juliet, I'm leaving."

Juliet looked to Gregory at his words, but he was already at the door putting his coat on.

"I won't be back until late this evening, I have a business meeting to go to in the afternoon, so I'll be busy." Briefcase in hand, he opened the door. "I'll be sure to call later, though. Mr. Todd, from what I hear, is a professional at he does, so if you need anything, he'll be nearby." He patted himself down, making sure he didn't forget anything. "Alright, Juliet, Mr. Todd." He nodded to them and then was gone.

The both of them stared at the door in silence before Jason cut in, smelling the familiar scent of overcooked food.

"Your breakfast is burning."

Juliet quirked a brow at his words, until the burning smell hit her nose. She rushed over to the stove, quickly shutting off the burner, and removed the pan. Jason silently watched her as she mumbled to herself while cleaning up her ruined cooking. Once she was done, she sighed, and looked up to him.

"So, Mr. Todd-"

"Jason."

She hesitated. "Jason… Um..." She was nervous; maybe it was his appearance that made her feel uncomfortable? "Right. So, Mr. Reeves wanted me to go over our daily schedule with you…"

"Yes."

"And he also said it was best if Alan didn't know what you'd be doing." She trailed off. "Although he is a smart kid, and it's not hard to find out…"

"Yeah, he told me this yesterday; he said the kid wouldn't understand."

Juliet pursed her lips. "I wouldn't think so." She sighed. "Gregory hardly even knows his son."

Jason watched her face as she said this; he could tell she truly cared for the boy, just by her body language. He could definitely rule her out as potential threat; though, of course there were other reasons… Jason's blue eyes traced her figure as she stood, and when his eyes finally looked up, he was abashed to find she was staring at him uncomfortably.

"So. Are you going to tell me when and where you two will be?" He hoped the question would distract her from his prying eyes. Juliet crossed her arms over her chest.

"Yes. But I have a question to ask… If you don't mind?"

"Shoot."

"Alan is your priority, right?"

Jason eyed her in confusion. "Yeah. Why do you ask?" He sincerely hoped she wasn't the damsel in distress type, always asking for help. That would just cancel out her attractiveness.

"Good." She sighed. "I'm asking because there are days when I have work while Alan is at school. Today, for example. I don't want you to be going back and forth between us. I needed to know you'd be staying with Alan." She gave a small smile of relief at this.

"I get it. So will this be an everyday thing, or what?"

"What do you mean?"

"You, going to work while he's at school."

Juliet shook her head. "Oh, no it won't. This will be like, three times a week. Monday, Wednesday and Friday." She checked the time on her wrist-watch and continued. "Alan, of course, has school during the week. Mr. Reeves works just about every day, hardly ever here…" She trailed off.

Jason's hands shoved his hands in his pockets as he listened. "What else?" It was more of a statement than a question; he knew the boy would be up soon, so she had to make it quick.

"I get out of work and walk to his school to pick him up. Afterwards we usually just come straight here or whatever comes to mind at the time." She started to pace as she went over everything in her head. "Whenever I don't have work, I'll be here. Cleaning."

"What, no wild parties?" He half-joked, but was satisfied that he got a small smile from her at that.

"Oh a few."

Jason smirked, she was slowly getting accustomed to him.

"Usually they're Alan's ideas… then I'm stuck watching him and his friends eat junk food, drink soda, and play video games on this behemoth." Juliet gestured towards the large screen TV that Jason failed to notice before. "Anyway, those usually happen on weekends. Either here or at a friend's house."

"As long as you let me know when and where, we should be fine. So when can we expect Daddy dearest to come home?" Jason found it odd as she laughed at his words. "I didn't mean to be funny, Ms. Corrigan."

"I know, and please, just call me Juliet. Ms. Corrigan makes me feel old." Her smile was genuine.

"So does Mr. Todd. Now, what else should I know before I have to disappear?"

Juliet nodded and continued.

"Yes, sorry, um… Oh! This weekend, Alan's school is having a Halloween party this Saturday. Also, I'm supposed to go out with him trick-or-treating on the 31st."

"Does that mean I should dress up?"

"That's up to you. I'll let you know where we'll be going that night; we won't be out too late though, it's a school night."

Suddenly, the alarm clock in Alan's room went off, signaling his awakening. Juliet looked from Alan's door to Jason.

"You should probably go now. I can get your contact information later." She said as she passed him to return to the kitchen. "See you later, Jason." She gave him one last smile before rummaging through the kitchen.

"Alright. I'll be around, then." Jason briskly walked towards the door and grasped the door knob. He heard dishes clanging as she busied herself in the kitchen.

He paused, looking back at the young woman once more, before finally leaving the apartment.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Well, well, well; back again? :D Thank you to all who have read and reviewed thus far :3 now I'm all giddy inside XD Still short chapters but hopefully that will change :)

So how did ya'll like their first meeting? I was a little worried it may not be what I wanted it to be, but I think it turned out real well ;) Now I can't wait to post all that fluff XD Don't worry, it won't be TOO fluffy XD Anywho, thanks for reading! Much love! Feel free to share your thoughts :D


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own _Young Justice_, or its characters, all of which are owned by DC Comics/Cartoon Network.**

**thank you, sea-dilemma for beta-reading! 3 :D**

* * *

Traffic was always bad in the mornings, which was why Juliet opted to walk Alan to school, then walk to work. The sky was still dark when they left the apartment; Juliet thought they would run into Jason on their way out, but he was nowhere in sight. She still felt uneasy about having a bodyguard.

Alan was silent during their walk, and she found it cute, how he was practically sleepwalking. Juliet kept her arm around his shoulders as they walked, discreetly eying every alley they passed.

Gregory's idea of having a bodyguard kept her on edge; she was not taking any chances.

A half-hour later they arrived at the gates of the school. Parents and kids crowded the area – the usual weekday routine.

"Have a good day, alright?" She told him, and he nodded, yawning. "I'll be here when school lets out, kiddo."

"Bye, Julie." Alan entered the gates, dragging his feet. Juliet shook her head and smiled.

She waited until he was inside the school building to continue her trek to work. The morning air was chilly, making her clutch her coat closer; the rising sun did little to warm her.

She arrived at the Stanford Hotel 20 minutes later, passing a few doormen and maids on the way to the employees' entrance. Punching in, she made a beeline around the other maids and butlers, greeting them and made her way to her locker.

"Morning, Jules!"

Juliet turned from her locker to see her co-worker, Shae; the closest person to a friend she had.

"Hey Shae, how's it going?" Juliet said as she hung her purse inside the locker, and grabbed her nametag.

"Same as usual; wake up, eat, come here, work – living the life. What about you?"

"Oh, you know, saving the world." She joked, earning a grin from her friend.

"Right, and I am SO grateful."

It was Juliet's turn to smile; closing the locker, and she and Shae made their way to the employee breakroom, for the usual morning meeting.

Like every morning, the other employees chatted amicably amongst themselves, Juliet and Shae included. The meeting was brief as the hotel manager and his assistant went over the guests staying in the hotel; Juliet only half-listened. Her thoughts juggled between what was going on right in front of her, and the young man that she had met earlier in the morning.

He was VERY attractive.

She remembered almost every detail of his appearance, brief though it was; his piercing eyes were what struck her the most. They appeared blue, but she could see hints of green in his irises. Though he was polite during their introduction, she could tell he was what some would label a 'bad boy,' she knew it as she watched him trace her figure with those piercing eyes.

Oddly enough, she liked it.

Shae nudged her shoulder, diverting her attention back to the meeting, which she realized was over.

"You awake, Jules?" Shae asked as they both made their way to the storage closet for their carts. "You seemed kind of out of it for a minute there."

"I-I'm fine. Just a lot on my mind, I guess." Juliet said as she and Shae began loading their carts with cleaning supplies.

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

"Nothing much, really… Now what floor are we on today?"

* * *

There was only one word to describe how Jason felt at the moment: bored.

Absolutely, and irrevocably bored.

Jason had followed Juliet and Alan as they walked to Alan's school, and had stayed until Alan was safely inside the school building before following Juliet. He watched her as she walked down two blocks before turning into a hotel. 'The Stanford,' he noted. Somewhat high-class; He observed the hotel a little bit longer before making his way back to Alan's school. He'd have to come back later to speak to Juliet and give her his contact information.

'_That's one way to get a girl's number,'_ he mused.

Jason watched the school, waiting for just ANYTHING to happen. He knew that there wasn't much danger to be had at a private school. Security was average, but it was enough for Jason to be bored out of his mind, leaving him with nothing to do but stare at the school for hours.

Checking his watch, he found himself hoping that Juliet was on lunch. It was already the common lunch hour, and he gave the school one last look before heading to the hotel.

It wasn't long before he was at the hotel again, and saw that some of the workers were standing outside, smoking. He waited, careful not to draw too much attention to himself. A few women, wearing uniforms similar to Juliet's of light blue tops and khaki skirts, walked out of the employee entrance. Right behind them was the girl herself, walking alongside another young woman with dark-skin and pinned back braids; A friend perhaps?

"You sure you can't join us?" Shae asked.

"No thanks, Shae. I've got somewhere else to be; you know me." Juliet smiled. "Maybe next time?" She asked, and they stopped walking.

Shae sighed. "Alright. But next time you're buying me lunch. Deal?"

"It's a date." They both giggled and went their separate ways. Jason wondered just where exactly Juliet needed to be; he had given no indication as to where they would meet.

Juliet walked in the opposite direction of her friends, yet not in the direction of Alan's school. As soon as she was far enough away, he followed. Though her emotions from earlier in the morning led him to believe she was an innocent babysitter, her actions made him suspicious. Jason observed from afar that her head was held high, and her hips had a sway to them; he wondered if she knew she was being followed.

No one paid much attention to the brunette as she walked; like so many others on the street, she walked with purpose. Jason paid attention; his eyes were locked on her frame. He walked a little faster, not wanting to lose her in the crowded streets, in case she was going to take notice of him and run.

As she was six feet away, she turned onto a small set of stairs and disappeared into a building. Jason read the business sign hanging above the door; it was a small bookstore. The building had large windows, so it wasn't difficult to see Juliet disappear into the many aisles of bookcases. The bell on the door jingled as he entered, and the store owner looked up from what she was doing behind the desk and greeted him with a nod. Ignoring her, Jason set off to find Juliet.

The store, by all means, wasn't too big, but was big enough to have a private conversation in any aisle. As he pretended to browse, he noticed there were only two or three people scattered throughout the store, and it was eerily quiet. He found Juliet in the most common section for women: romance.

He stayed silent, watching her as she balanced two books in her arms and pulled yet another from the shelf and opened the hard cover; he only had a brief glance at the title. She was so focused on the pages that she didn't even notice him come within arm's reach, until he said her name.

"Juliet."

She jumped in surprise, dropping the books in hand, and he smirked.

"Jason! Geez… You scared me!" She whispered before kneeling down to pick up her books; he did the same, grabbing the two out of three.

"It wasn't my intention, but I did get a good laugh out of it." They both stood, and he handed her the books.

"I didn't hear any laughter." She righted herself, nestling the books back in her arms. "So, you're here to give me your number, right?"

Jason looked at her with a raised eyebrow at her blunt question. "Wow, and you didn't even buy me a drink first." he saw her cheeks flush as she looked away nervously, making the corner of his mouth quirk in amusement.

"I wasn't aware that, um, that you – just – um, I hope you're not serious, Mr. Todd." She held her books close; Jason found her embarrassment amusing.

"Jason." He corrected. "And no, _Ms. Corrigan_, I wasn't serious." He said, shoving his hands in his pockets. Juliet nodded, nervously, he noted, and held out her books to him.

"Would you hold these, while I get my phone?" Juliet's eyes never met his. Silently, he took the books from her hands, and their fingers brushed, giving Jason familiar, yet unwanted, tingles that made him jerk away. Juliet took no notice of this as she began to dig in her purse. As her head was tilted down, a few stray curls fell into her face, and Jason fought the urge to push them back.

'_Just what the hell is wrong with me today?'_ he thought.

When Juliet looked up, she noticed his brow was furrowed and his mouth set in a frown. Did she upset him somehow? Fueled by curiosity, she inquired.

"Something wrong, Jason?"

Jason shook his head, reaching out to her phone. He took it out of her hands, careful not to brush fingers again, and began typing his number. Once he was done, he handed both her phone and books to her.

"Just text me if you notice anything suspicious, call if it's an emergency." He said, stiffly. Jason turned away, suddenly glad he was leaving her presence, though he was caught off guard by a small warm hand clasping his shoulder. He faced her slowly, glaring at her hand as if it was a disease, and she retracted her hand shyly. She understood he didn't want to be touched.

"Sorry. Thank you, Jason, for doing this. Watching over Alan; I know it doesn't seem like a lot to a complete stranger, but it means the world to me…" She smiled, and their eyes locked. "Thank you." She said one final time before maneuvering around him to the check-out counter; as she brushed past him, he got the scent of her perfume, or was it just her?

Jason stood frozen on the spot, watching her from around the corner of the bookshelf. She kept glancing at him through her peripherals, he noticed. She swiftly paid for her books, took her receipt, and left the building. Once she was gone, Jason lingered for a few minutes before he too left the store.

The warm tingly feeling made him want to crawl out of his own skin as he followed Juliet back to her job. This time she knew he was following her, so he lagged further behind; hell, he needed this space; the encounter in the book store was too close for comfort.

It wasn't until Juliet was back inside the hotel that he continued on his way towards Alan's school. The whole walk back, Jason was in a daze. He paid little mind to where he was walking; a brunette was occupying his thoughts, and for the first time, he didn't know what to think about it.

"Wanna buy a couple of bars?"

That phrase pulled him from his thoughts, and he couldn't be happier for the distraction. Glancing down the alley on his right, he saw two men, towering over a teenage boy, who looked just as bad as the men did. Oh, did he hate drug dealers.

"How much can I get with this?" the boy held up what looked like a very expensive Rolex. It was then that Jason decided to cut in.

"I'd say about $100 bucks at the pawn shop. But really, the drugs are worth more to you than a warm meal, huh?"

They all turned to face Jason as he came closer, the men giving him a once-over.

"Beat it, chump, we're doin' business here."

"Oh, it's business alright."

Before the man could reply, Jason threw a punch to his face, knocking him back.

"You son of a bitch!" The second man pulled out a handgun and aimed it at Jason. Unfortunately for him, Jason was faster.

Kicking the gun out of the man's hand, Jason elbowed him in the face, earning a crunch from his nose. As the two men rolled around in pain, Jason looked to the boy who was backed against the wall in fear.

"Beat it, kid. Don't let me catch you around punks like these again."

The boy nodded fervently and ran out of the alley.

Turning back to the two drug dealers, Jason cracked his knuckles. "Now, where were we?"

* * *

Juliet noticed more clouds forming in the sky as she was cleaning the last room on her floor. It was going to rain again; luckily, she remembered to bring the umbrella.

She and Shae always teamed up on the presidential suites, and this was the last room to clean before she could clock out and go home; she was almost done.

After she had come back from her lunch break earlier, Juliet spent the last of her few minutes in the locker room, calming her nerves. She didn't know what it was about Jason Todd that made her all flushed.

'_Obviously it's in his good looks, Juliet.'_

She stifled a giggle at that thought. Of course, now here she was, finishing up the room by changing the sheets on the king sized mattress, thinking of how the dark-haired man would look tangled up in the ivory sheets.

"You've got a dirty mind, Juliet." She muttered, earning a strange look from her friend as they righted the bed.

"I think it's all those smutty romance novels you like to read." Shae added, earning an incredulous look from Juliet.

"I do not read smutty novels!"

"Really? What else could a book like 'Persuasion' be about?" Shae laughed as Juliet threw a pillow at her.

"No one asked your opinion, Shae! And for your information, it's a _classy _romance novel!"

They finished making the bed and began gathering all their cleaning supplies.

"So besides reading your smutty novels, what else are you going to be doing on Halloween next week?"

Juliet sighed, laughing a bit as she loaded her cleaning cart. "Well you know I take Alan trick-or-treating, but afterwards I'm not sure. Why?"

"Oh, well I was going to ask if you wanted to come with me and the other ladies of Stanford to this new bar that opened up. They're having a grand opening on Halloween night!"

"I don't know… I'm probably going to stay out a little late – "

"Oh NO! Don't give me an excuse!"

The pair pushed their carts to the staff elevators, and Juliet pressed the down button.

"I don't know, Shae. You and the other girls are party-goers, I'm just the plain Jane of the group."

"Yea, the plain Jane who can hold her liquor!" Shae pouted, and held Juliet's hands in a pleading gesture. "Come on, Jules, it'll be fun, I promise!" She stuck her bottom lip out for further effect. Juliet only rolled her eyes and smiled at her friend's attempt at persuasion.

"Fine. I'll see what I can do." She sighed, resigned.

"Yes! Finally!"

"But!" Juliet held up her index finger. "I won't be able to stay out ALL night, understand?"

"Perfectly!"

Juliet chuckled as they finally reached their floor. There weren't many others leaving at the same time, so there wasn't much of a crowd to wade through as they made their way to the cleaners with their dirty sheets and towels. Once they dropped off the linen, they made their way to the storage closet and put away their cleaning supplies to be restocked.

Juliet could hear thunder rumble in the sky from the open window of the locker room. She'd have to hurry if she was going to beat the rain. '_Looks like I'm going to be staying the night again.'_ She sighed, pulling out her belongings and her coat. Grabbing the plastic bag with her purchased books, she managed to stuff them inside her purse, and tucked it under her jacket coat.

Shae met her at the time clock, punching out right on time. Once outside the doors, Juliet felt the temperature had dropped, and clutched her coat close. Saying her farewells to Shae, Juliet made her way to Alan's school.

The sky was getting darker as Juliet practically power-walked to Alan's school. She wasn't the only one in a rush; when she arrived at the school gates, parents were bustling about, taking their kids to the cars or taxi cabs. Juliet stood next to the gate, scanning the area for Alan until she finally spotted him.

Alan was busy stuffing paperwork into his backpack when Juliet saw him. He held his jacket at the crook of his elbow while trying to save his school work from the impending rain.

"Come on squirt, put your jacket on!" Juliet came up next to him, helping him by holding his jacket out for him. "Let's go before we get soaked in the rain." Alan slid on his backpack before the jacket. "Alright, turtle, let's go!"

Alan jabbed Juliet's side with his elbow in response, making her laugh. The two barely made it several feet outside the school gate before drops of rain began to fall. Juliet made quick work of the umbrella and pulled Alan close. Juliet made sure to stay clear of the street, knowing full well cars would splash any pedestrian walking too close to the curb; thankfully, it wasn't raining hard.

"So, how was school?" Juliet asked, and Alan sighed audibly.

"It was ok. Same stuff as usual." He pouted.

"Why the long face?"

"I'm ok. I get bored sometimes…" He trailed off.

"Oh? How so?"

"The classwork is too easy, and I finish early most of the time."

"Hmm, well, you know, we could talk to the principal to skip you up a couple of grades-"

"But then I'd be with older kids who'd make fun of me!"

"Honestly, Alan! If older kids make fun of you, it's because they're jealous!" Juliet ruffled his blonde hair. "I think you should go for it."

"But… what about my friends?"

"If they're your real friends, they'd support you." She said with finality, though Alan was still pouting; she sighed. "Ok, how about after the Halloween party at school, you invite your friends for a sleepover?" That got him smiling.

"Really, Julie?" He asked with excitement.

"Really." She assured him. When they arrived at Alan's apartment, Juliet held the door open for him to walk through, he was practically skipping. She shook the umbrella before closing it, and followed Alan.

"But what about Gregory?"

Juliet snapped her gaze to Alan; that was the first time she heard him say his father's name. He knew this, and looked away sadly. "I'm sorry, Julie…" The look on his face was so heartbreaking, Juliet pulled him close. They were quiet as they entered the elevator. Juliet spent most of the time thinking about what to do to make Alan feel better. She wished there was something she could do; Gregory was always away and uninvolved in Alan's life; he'd give gifts and money in his place, believing they would suffice. She knew better.

When the elevator opened on their floor, Alan was the first out, pulling the key from his pocket. Juliet followed him in silence as they entered the apartment; he went straight to his room. Sighing, she went to her room as well, emptying the contents of her purse onto the bed. Juliet went and grabbed her duffel bag she brought from home and began digging through it for clothes when she heard a soft knock on her bedroom door; it was Alan.

"Hey, Julie?" Alan walked over to her bed and sat down. "About the sleepover… Do you think – Dad – would mind?"

Juliet was silent as she watched different emotions play across his face. She sighed and sat next to him. "Tell you what." She began, putting her arm around his shoulder. "You can have your sleepover at my apartment, and your dad won't have to mind at all. Sound good?" She looked down at him, watching as he made a thoughtful face before nodding.

"Ok… I can bring my games and stuff, too, right?"

"As long as you don't keep me up all night, then we're good. Now, I suggest you go do any homework you might have." She smiled as he slid from the bed, a small smile on his face. He thanked her and went on to do what she told him. With Alan taken care of, Juliet stood up and continued to dig through her bag for more comfortable clothes. She kicked off her shoes and slid her skirt and shirt off, leaving her in her un-matching undergarments of white and blue.

Once fully clothed, Juliet pulled out one of the books she had bought earlier. Thinking back to that moment, she realized she needed to text Jason about her and Alan's plans for the weekend. Pulling out her phone, she went to her contacts list and scrolled to find his number.

Jason's number was the only one unnamed; she thought of putting his name, but decided against it; he must've kept it nameless for a reason. Clicking the number, she texted:

**Alan will be having a sleepover this weekend – my place.**

It wasn't long before a reply came in.

_Noted. What days and for how long?_

**Saturday Night. After the Halloween party. I'll bring him home Sunday.**

She waited for his reply, but none came.

* * *

Jason knew of Alan and Juliet's plan before she texted him. He managed to arrive at Gregory's apartment before they arrived, slipping right past the doorman and into the elevator.

He easily picked the lock on the door and stepped inside the dark apartment. Jason quickly set to work on placing microphones in just about every room; video surveillance would come later. It was raining by the time he was done; he looked out the window and saw Juliet and Alan enter the building, and he quickly left, locking the door and climbing out the window.

Scaling down a building from the eleventh floor was an easy feat for Jason. He managed to do so in broad daylight and unnoticed; who looks up in the rain?

He had the speaker of the microphones in his hands as he listened to their conversations throughout the evening. It was a long while before Gregory made it home; Jason stopped him before he entered the apartment building. Jason reported all that had happened throughout the day; Gregory was pleased to know nothing had happened and then they parted ways.

Jason was well on his way back to Dick's apartment thirty minutes later. He wondered if Dick would be home, or out patrolling. Either way, he just wanted to eat something, and then sleep until the next day.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Well! ;) how'd you like that? :D I'm sorry it's taken me long to update, I'm beginning to believe I will update every two weeks...school and work - you know :/ Anywho, please review! comments, questions, whatever comes to mind teehee... :) Thank you for reading thus far! next chappy will come soon! (I hope) :D MUCH LOVE!


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own _Young Justice_, or its characters, all of which are owned by DC Comics/Cartoon Network.**

**Thank you sea-dilemma for your lovely beta-reading! :D 3**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

**Saturday**  
**October 27****th**** (3 Days Later)**

**That Morning**

Gregory ALWAYS worried. The constant feeling of having to look over his shoulder was always present; he was in bad with the wrong kind of people.

He wasn't sure what to think of the situation he was in; when he arrived at his warehouse the other day, he was relieved the shipment had gone well. But just what exactly was he doing, sitting between two rather muscular men in the back of a limousine?

Gregory was just stepping out of his car when these two men had come up from behind and practically dragged him to their vehicle. What he didn't understand was why he was grabbed in the first place? The shipment had come in with no interruption from a third party, so there was no reason for this treatment.

"Just where am I being taken?" He asked, frustrated.

They hadn't driven too far from Gregory's company, merely a half-hour drive, and from what he could tell, the building was in the more empty part of the city; for the night life.

The two bulky men remained quiet as the limo drove up to an unmarked building; this worried Gregory. The two men exited the car first, followed by Gregory, who was once again grabbed by the biceps and pushed into the building.

When they entered the building, Gregory was confused at what he saw.

There were several men, or rather, workers, bustling about just about everywhere. Men were bent or crouched, polishing furniture ideal for a lounge; the bars, booths and stools were being installed… Just who exactly was he meeting, and why?

The two large men led Gregory up a flight of stairs, and then finally to a room with a closed door, at which one of the men knocked. A small peephole slid open, revealing a pair of eyes that went over each of their faces before the peephole slid closed. Gregory stood silently waiting for the door to open. When it did, he was guided inside.

The room was scarcely decorated; just a desk and a few chairs. Sitting at the desk was a man he did not recognize. His dark hair, though slicked back, was curly, and stuck out in different directions, his brow furrowed in concentration as he was filling out several papers. It was then that Gregory noticed the other three men in the room; two standing silently behind the young man at the desk, and the last was standing with his back towards Gregory.

"That should do it, Mr. Moretti." The man said. Gregory's eyes widened at the name. "The building is yours." He finished, pulling out a ring of keys and handing it over.

"A pleasure doing business with you." The young man stood from the desk and shook the realtor's hand, dismissing him.

Gregory took in the young man's appearance. He was young, most likely in his mid-twenties, with a slight accent in his voice. He wore a simple, light blue button up shirt with grey slacks. Once the realtor had left the room, his attention was on Gregory.

"So, I'm sure you are wondering why I had you brought here." He said, straightening the cuffs of his shirts in a nonchalant way; Gregory eyed him, opting not to speak. The young man quirked his mouth in an arrogant grin. "So sorry," He chuckled. "You must think I'm rude."

He held his hand out in greeting. "My name is Fabian Moretti."

* * *

**That Afternoon**

It was times like these that made Juliet relieved she no longer worked in department stores. Holidays were always the busiest; this just happened to be the weekend before Halloween. She had just witnessed a fight break out between two women over some merchandise before she saw what she had come for.

Juliet hastily grabbed the Green Arrow costume before another could claim it, and quickly made her way towards the toy section, where she would find Alan and his costume prop.

"Here, Julie! I found the perfect one!" Alan exclaimed, meeting her halfway.

"Alright, throw it in the cart. Now all we need is food for your sleepover."

"Cool. A bunch of chips, sodas, and some sweets!"

"Oh, no. I don't think so, mister." Juliet said, much to Alan's disappointment. She grinned, watching his face fall. "A FEW chips, sodas and ONE box of sweets." She laughed, ruffling his hair in a sisterly manner as he fought his own smile.

They made their way to the grocery side of the store and grabbed a few items. "So, Avery is the only one coming over to spend the night." Alan said as they walked through the snack aisle.

"Just Avery? What about Elliot?" Juliet grabbed a few bags of chips.

"Elliot said his grandpa is visiting. But, we're supposed to play Call of Duty online with him anyway."

"Oh, alright then – Oh! I need to get Elvis's food!" Juliet said, Alan tossed a favored box of sweets in the cart before they made their way to the pet's department.

"How is he, anyway?"

"He's a cat, Alan – _your _cat. He's doing just fine too, all fat and what not."

Alan laughed as he grabbed the bag of cat food. "Well he wouldn't be fat if you didn't feed him all this food!"

"Hey! I have to use a large bowl since I'm hardly ever home," Juliet and Alan finally went up to the check-out line. "Besides, if Gregory wasn't allergic to cats, he'd be at _your _home, getting his fur all over _your_ clothes!"

* * *

"Do you like dance clubs, Mr. Reeves?" Fabian sat down at the desk, waving for his men to leave the room; they did. He gestured for Gregory to sit in the chair adjacent to the desk and Gregory obliged, eyes never leaving Fabian's face.

"I've never been one for dancing." Gregory replied, earning a grin from Fabian.

"Well, neither is my father. This whole dance club is my own business."

"Your father?"

"Yes." Fabian leaned forward on the desk, his hands clasped on the surface. "You know my father, yes?"

Gregory said nothing; his lips were in a tight line.

"Of course you do." He sighed audibly and opened a drawer, pulling out a bottle of liquor. "You and he are, _business partners._" he annunciated the last words while pouring the beverage into two small cups, pushing one to Gregory. "What with dealing with our drug shipments." Gregory's eyes widened at this; this was the mobster's SON?!

"What do you want from me? Your father-"

"Is sick." Fabian interjected; Gregory furrowed his brow in confusion and shock. Fabian poured himself another drink whilst Gregory refused to touch his. "My father has been... diagnosed with an illness."

"What kind of illness?"

"The terminal kind."

Gregory didn't know whether to be relieved or worried about this piece of news. The man who held him at gun point, took what he wanted when he wanted, was dying. He wasn't sure what that meant for himself and his small company. If the head of this 'mobster' family was dying, did that mean that Gregory was finally free from Moretti's grasp?

"What does that mean for me, exactly?"

Fabian looked up at Gregory, the arrogant grin back on his face. "Absolutely nothing."

Gregory blanched; What?! "What do you mean, nothing? If he dies, the deal I had with him is _over._ How can I conduct business with a dead man?!"

Fabian threw his head back in laughter, leaving Gregory perplexed.

"You, _YOU_, are a funny man." He stood and walked around the desk only to lean against it, facing Gregory. "_When_ my father dies, all his work, all his _investments_ go to me." Fabian smiled. "So you," He patted Gregory's shoulder. "Are going to work for me."

_What?_

Fabian saw the confusion on Gregory's face at his words. "After all, your _company_ is responsible for 80% of our income."

"But - how - why? The deal wasn't meant to be long-term!"

"Mr. Reeves, you must understand; the crime rate has dropped significantly in the past few years. Since then, we have had to make different arrangements and pay more money to keep the business thriving." He pointed to Gregory. "You, are paying back what you owe by doing this."

Gregory shook his head in dibelief; all these years he thought he was close to done with these mobsters, only to find out they have no intention of letting him go. "What if I wanted out?"

The look Fabian gave him made his skin crawl.

"I don't think you want to do that, my friend."

"I have a significant hold over your business... Why can't I give it to someone else?" Gregory gestured to Fabian. "Why not you? Surely you don't need _me_ to use a company as a cover up."

Fabian was silent, tapping his foot while Gregory spoke.

"I've already paid back what I owed to just start my company-"

"Oh?" Fabian looked back at him sharply. "Is it just YOUR company?" Fabian reached over his desk and pulled a piece of paper with R&O Paper Company's logo. "Because, I see Reeves & Obrentz Paper Company." Gregory's eyes shifted toward the ground, not unnoticed by Fabian. "I know, Gregory."

Gregory looked back up with disbelief. "What _do_ you know?!"

"We don't go into business without knowing everything there is to know about you. My father was gracious enough to pass along the information." He said, gesturing towards a manila folder on the desk. "You worked for Wayne Electronics for a few years, met _Roland Obrentz_; the two of you got really friendly and started your small company - with help from my father, of course. Married - well not anymore since she died during childbirth, one son - how old is he, 10? 11?" Fabian smirked as he crossed his arms. "I know a _lot_ about you Mr. Reeves."

Gregory was clenching the arms of the chair until his knuckles turned white.

"I also know about your friend double-crossing you... and how you - retaliated?" Fabian chuckled. "You were very eager to be apart of this business back then. What happened? Alan change your mind?"

Gregory WOULD have attacked Fabian, had it not been for the hands holding him from behind, when he tried to rise, keeping him seated; hands he didn't know were still in the room. Gregory's actions only made Fabian even more amused.

"The reason I brought you here, Mr. Reeves, was so we can discuss the continuation of our... _partnership._"

* * *

**That Evening**

"Come on, Julie! We're gonna be late!" Alan exclaimed as he and Avery scurried down the steps of her apartment complex. Juliet and Alan had spent the day preparing for the Halloween party at Alan's school; Avery joined later on to drop off his belongings for their sleepover.

Juliet's coat hung in the crook of her elbow as she locked her apartment door. "Wait for me, you two! Everything you're doing, I'm doing in heels!" She called down the stairs, tucking her keys, phone and wallet in the pockets of her jacket before putting it on. She finally caught up to them downstairs, they left the apartment complex.

The sun was setting as they made their way to the elementary school, and the chilly air made Juliet wish that she had picked a different witch costume for this event. They could see a few other students entering the school when it came into view, all of them in costume. Alan and Avery rushed up the stairs to sign in to the attendance list, followed closely by Juliet.

"You two go inside, ok? I'll meet you in the gym." She said, the two adolescents went ahead with the rest of their classmates. Juliet watched them for a moment before signing the Chaperones list. "I have a - cousin of mine coming to help chaperone." She said to the security officer. "He's running a little late, but he'll be here soon. I just wanted to run it by you so there's no trouble." The security officer asked for his description and name, and Juliet obliged; once done, she walked inside and pulled out her phone, texting Jason.

**You're good to go. Just talk to the security officer.**

She waited for his reply, but none came. Juliet pursed her lips, he must not like to text much. She thought to the other times she texted him small messages in the past three days, all of which were just informational, pertaining to Alan's plans, their locations, etc; He barely texted back any of those times. She wondered if she was being tedious. Tucking her phone away, Juliet continued on to the gym, where the festivities were going on. She hung her coat with all the other guest coats and proceeded to find Alan.

She found him and Avery jumping inside the large pumpkin bounce house, having the time of their lives. When Alan saw her, he waved excitedly and she grinned, pulling out her phone and going up to snap a few pictures.

"Julie! Julie, come on! We're going to play some of the games over there!" Alan exclaimed as he ran from the jumphouse to the booths of mini games. She followed obediently, snapping pictures on her phone. "Take a picture of this awesome costume- oh! Get a picture of me and Avery! Now all three of us next to the bounce house!"

The time she spent with Alan was never boring; she absolutely loved it. The three of them played a few games, danced to some of the music playing; Alan and Avery practically inhaled all the candy they managed to get their hands on, and Juliet scolded them about spoiling dinner with all the sweets. When it came time for the haunted houses to open, Juliet stood off to the side, watching all the kids scurry about; to stand in line and enter the haunted houses.

"Well, this is fun."

Juliet jumped at the voice from behind her, and turned to see none other than Jason, his hands tucked into his pockets. Her lips quirked up in a smile at his bored tone. "_Very_ fun. Enjoying yourself?"

Jason shrugged. "Could be better. I wish they served something stronger than punch."

"It's an elementary school, of _course_ they only serve punch. Would you like some anyway?"

She didn't wait for a reply before she went over to the beverage table, and Jason followed. His eyes followed the outline of her shape in the form-fitting dress, the sway of her hips - _Get your mind out of the gutter, Jase._

When she faced him again, she held two cups of red liquid and held one out to him. "Did you have any trouble with security?"

"No." He said dismissively while taking a sip of his drink.

"Oh, that's... good."

They lapsed into an awkward silence, which seemed more awkward on Juliet's part. Jason seemed preoccupied keeping a close eye on all the kids and adults walking around. Juliet kept sipping at her drink to extinguish most of the awkward air around them. She had never felt so out of sorts like this; normally she could easily talk to people she just met; but Jason eluded her. Maybe it was because she never seen him more than 4 times these past few days. She recalled their first encounter, exchanging names and such, seeing him for the first time made her a little nervous considering his occupation, and the way he shamelessly oogled her. The second encounter was a little less than the first, but they were in complete seclusion in a bookstore. Juliet looked down at her empty cup and fiddled with the edges.

"So how are you - um liking the whole, body guarding - thing?" She finished lamely, hoping he would be more engaged in the conversation. He turned his eyes on her.

"Alright. Can't say I'm not, at least, a little disappointed."

"Disappointed?"

He shrugged. "There's not much..." _Action? _"Activity going on."

"Ah... Well, I'm sorry you feel that way - but not sorry that nothing's happened... "

"I'm begining to wonder why I was even hired." He said, making her look at him quizzically.

"What do you mean? Didn't Gregory tell you?" She wonderd if she could get more out of Jason than out of Gregory.

"He told me," He paused, looking at her finally. "To not get involved with you two." Jason tossed his empty cup in a nearby trash can. "And that's my cue to leave." He finished, winking at her before disappearing from the gym. _What?_ Her gaze followed him as he left, only for her attention to turn to the two pairs of feet scurrying towards her.

"We're ready to go, Julie." Juliet turned to see Alan and Avery, cheeks flushed from all the running around. _Did Alan see me with Jason?_ She wondered as Alan's gaze flickered from the gym entrance to her again. "Who were you talking to?"

"No one." Juliet nudged the two kids to the coat rack. "Let's go, you two, I'm ordering pizza." She added, and the boys faces brightened at the revelation, making Juliet smile as well.

When they left the building, Juliet was not surprised that Jason was nowhere to be seen. _He's very good at hiding..._ She thought as she and the children walked the short distance to her apartment. She kept a good grip on both of their shoulders the entire time, cautious of any suspicous character that walked past them. Her thoughts wandered back to what Jason had said, about not being needed; Juliet wondered if there was some truth to his words. Gregory was very discreet about the whole situation, and Jason only repeated what he said. _Am I just being paranoid?_

She shook her head as she opened the gate to the apartment complex for the boys to enter first. They practically raced up the stairs to her door. _Geez, all that candy must have made them sugar high!_ She huffed, before following them. The first few steps made Juliet cringe at her aching feet; looking down, she quickly removed her shoes, sighing as her feet touched the hardwood steps. She walked up the two flights of stairs to see Alan and Avery wrestling to reach the door knob.

"Hey, hey you two! Calm down!" Juliet quickly pulled the laughing pair apart. "Geez, I have the keys, remember?" She said, moving them playfully out of the way. Turning the keys, she looked back at the boys who stood patiently behind her and smirked. "I win!" She laughed at their confused and shocked faces as she quickly opened and closed the door behind her. Juliet laughed harder at their insistent protests and pounding on the door.

"What's the password?" She called.

"Come on, Julie! Open the door! We're starving!"

"How can you be starving? You two ate all that candy!"

"But we want pizza!" Alan exclaimed, earning a 'yea!' from his friend.

"What's the magic word?" She heard a groan on the other side of the door.

"_PLEASE,_ Julie? _PLEASE_ let me and Avery come in?"

She giggled before opening the door to see their pouting faces. "Aw, don't look so glum, sweet peas!" Alan rolled his eyes playfully at the pet names.

Juliet switched on the lights in her apartment, and a white long-haired cat meowed at their entrance. Alan picked him up, already getting white fur on his costume. "Hey, Elvis." He said as he carried the cat to the living room, Avery in tow.

She grinned before digging through her jacket pockets to find her cell phone. Dialing the pizza place, she placed an order for delivery. Once dinner was taken care of, Juliet retreated to the privacy of her room to change. She could hear Alan and Avery talking excitedly about their game Call of Duty in the living room, while they changed into their pajamas; she chuckled lightly. She slipped out of her black dress and tossed it on the bed. She went into her small closet and withdrew her yoga pants and band t-shirt. Elvis had somehow managed to get into her room and laid right on her black dress; was there anything he DIDN'T lay on? She shoo'd him off, which he ignored, and he remained where he was, making Juliet roll her eyes at the feline. _King of the House, alright..._ She pursed her lips, pulling the dress out from under him and throwing it in the hamper, and then decided to head back into the living room.

"So are we playing zombies or multiplayer?" Alan asked through his microphone. They had already set up their gaming console and were waiting to play. Juliet knew Alan always played online with his friends Elliot and Colin, she'd only met Colin once at a birthday party and had never actually met Elliot; she presumed they were talking to them through the mic.

Juliet walked over to the bookshelf and grabbed what she had been reading earlier; and plopped down on the futon behind Alan and his friend seated on the floor. She shook her head at their proximity to the TV and cracked open her book. She hoped the piza would be there soon.

_I'm starving._ She thought.

* * *

Gregory opened the door to his apartment, finding it dark and empty._ Alan was at Juliet's._ He remembered, sighing, he walked towards his small office at home, dropping his briefcase and coat on the desk. He sat down in his chair, opening one of the drawers to pull out a picture frame. Standing together, was Gregory and Roland Obrentz.

A friend for almost 20 years, and now a corpse in one of New York's cemeteries.

He shoved the the photo back into the drawer in shame. How could he have done such a thing? Gregory knew the only thing that mattered to him back in those days was when he'd get his next fix. Despite working in Wayne Tech, he still managed to flush his life down the drain; dragging down God knows how many with him. Lives were ruined because he reverted to his early teens lifestyle. He had it so good at Wayne Enterprises; what went wrong?

_Just wanted more... Always wanted more._ He had resigned; quit a well-paying job just on the hope of making his own millions.

"_Look where that got you, Greg. 32 and addicted to drugs."_ The familiar words of Roland Obrentz echoed in his mind, dragging him into a memory of a time long past.

_"At least I'm making more money than before!" Gregory shoved at Roland's chest._

_"But at what cost?! Valerie is _pregnant_ Greg! She needs a man that can keep her safe from all the shit we've got ourselves in!"_

_"I _am_ keeping her safe! As long as we're doing what we're told, we don't have to worry about our cars blowing up, or snipers aimed at our heads!"_

_Roland sighed, looking at his close friend in resignation. His frame was thinner, eyes darker; drug abuse really did a number on his friend's well-being._

_"I want out." He simply stated. Gregory looked up at him in disbelief._

_"WHAT?!"_

_"I want out, Greg. You can keep going, keep the company running for that mobster's sake; but count me out." Roland turned to leave. "I'm not waiting around for my daughter to be dragged into this hell."_

_"If you go, they'll kill you! You _and_ your family!"_

_This made him pause._

_"It's too late for that..."_

Gregory's phone buzzed in his pocket, pulling him back to the present; it was Juliet texting.

**At home. Alan had fun at the party. We'll be back tomorrow.**

Sadness crept in his thoughts at Alan's name. How he wished he could be there for his son; how he wished he take his son far and away from this hell he burned in. He was so grateful Juliet was there for him. Grateful that that 10 year old girl had watched over his little boy when his wife died of blood loss, grateful she had given him the life he wanted for his boy._ Grateful._

If only Roland were still around; If only Valerie had survived.

If, if, if.

_There is no if..._ He thought numbly. Gregory opened up another drawer, opening a secret compartment with his hidden _stash_. Tears fell from his eyes as he caught a glimpse of another picture. The _pregnant_ woman sat in a wooden rocking chair, hand on her stomach, smiling broadly at the camera. Guiltily putting away the harmful drugs back in their hiding spot, he withdrew the picture.

Oh how he wished Valerie hadn't died.

* * *

"This is new." Jason spoke, loud enough to catch Juliet's attention. She looked up from her book to see Jason leaning on the railing of her small balcony patio.

"What do you mean new?" She asked suspicously; did he watch her these past nights?

"It's pretty cold out." He gestured towards her curled form on the patio chair she owned. "And you're out here reading a book. At night, I might add."

"Well, I was waiting for you."

Jason raised a brow in surprise at this. Juliet closed her book, and set it down to the side so she could grab the pizza box next to her.

"I figured you might not have eaten." She held out the pizza box for him. "So I made sure to save you some pizza." She opened the box to reveal 3/4 of pepperoni pizza to him.

"That was thoughtful." He said as she closed the lid and held it out for him.

"I'm a thoughtful person." She smiled sweetly. He eyed her suspicously.

"What are you doing?" He demanded.

"Being thoughtful." She shrugged her shoulders.

"No. What _are_ you doing?" His tone hinted he was not joking around. She looked at him questioningly. "You don't know me. Why are you out here offering me food?"

"I'm being _grateful_, Jason. Showing my _thanks_ to the guy watching over what I care about most." She shoved the box in his hands. "So _please._ Accept my gratitude." They stared at each other, both too stubborn to look away. Juliet crossed her arms, so as not to allow him the chance to give the box back.

He sighed, gaze going to the inside of her apartment. "Are they asleep?" She shook her head.

"They're glued to the television."

The corner of Jason's lips quirked up in a small grin, which turned into a smirk at Juliet's _frustrated_ expression.

"Well, since you _insist._" He opened the box and tore a slice of pizza. "You're welcome." He said before taking a large bite of the chilled pizza. Her face melted into on of relief at his surrender, as she grabbed her book.

"Enjoy." Her voice was so low, it was almost a whisper. "If you'll excuse me, my toes are cold." She said, slipping on her house shoes. "I'll see you around." She said to him. Before she could leave, however, he spoke.

"Next time, I'll let you know how I like my pizza."

If her cheeks weren't already pink from the cold, they were now. She nodded shyly at him, before she went inside, the heat already warming her cold form.

"Where'd you go, Julie?" Alan asked, though his eyes never left the screen; she grinned.

"Nowhere. Just out on the patio, talking to some pigeons."

Alan gave her a weird look before turning back to the screen. "Ok, crazy lady." He joked.

Juliet only grinned while walking towards he room. "Don't stay up too late, you two." She called, earning a 'yea-yea' from both of them.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Sorry about re-posting this, I had to make a few changes :) Hello all! :D Sorry for the delay, but I hope you enjoyed this chapter; more interactions to come (YAYY) so no worries all :) Any questions or comments just hit that button to review, OR just PM me :) MUCH LOVE TO YOU ALL!

BY THE WAY! as I'm sure most of you know, (Coming from sea-dilemma's Shatter Me,) there is another writer joining us in our interwoven universe, and her name is shikasgirl10...Give her fic a good read, get into Damian's mind a lil bit ;)


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